In a recent newspaper interview with renowned Buddhist scholar Robert Thurman, about the restitution of Nalanda, the 5th century Buddhist University in India, the journalist comments: “But Buddhism has practically vanished from India and emerging India may have little interest in the values you talk about.”
Thurman responds to that with:
[So] What is emerging India going to contribute to the world? Just compete with China to make more cheap goods and take away more jobs from industrialized and unionized countries, and pollute themselves?
He had my attention there for a split second. And then he spoilt it. He responded in a way, that I’ve heard so many westerners respond to India, sort of in a patronizing way. The way you talk to rowdy children, when you want to encourage them to stop doing what they are doing, and do the right thing. (more…)
